NON-THERMAL PROCESSING AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS: RECENT TRENDS AND APPLICATIONS

Improving food quality and shelf stability of all types of processed and raw foods before packing is motivated by the idea of safe food for customers. This has prompted specialists in food processing to research cutting-edge technologies that are new and different and may be able to extend the shelf life of food by maintaining its nutrients with little to no change. Despite this, a lot of food items are lost since improper processing methods were employed throughout the years in various locations. Innovative non-thermal technologies can inactivate microorganisms at temperatures close to ambient, preventing thermal degradation of the food components and preserving the sensory and nutritional quality of the fresh-like food products. These technologies include cold plasma (CP), high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF) and pulsed light treatment (PL), among others, to increase productivity. Ohmic and microwave heating are categorized as volumetric heating techniques that increase food goods\' shelf lives by generating thermal energy inside the meal itself. These technologies seem to give measurable environmental benefits by improving process and overall energy efficiency and by utilizing less non-renewable resources, regardless of how they are presently being utilized. The goal of this study was to analyze non-thermal processing methods that are now in use or under development for the inactivation of microbes, extending the microbiological shelf life of food and identifying potential packaging interactions. Finding the optimum packing materials for commodities that maintain the advantages of increased product quality brought on by preservation technologies is a crucial step that has to be addressed.